This invention generally relates to a motor housing for a vacuum cleaner having air flow passageways for cooling the motor during vacuum cleaner operation.
A variety of vacuum cleaners exist on the market. One specialized type of vacuum cleaner is known as a liquid bath vacuum cleaner. While currently available liquid bath vacuum cleaners have proven effective and useful, those skilled in the art are always seeking to improve and enhance their function.
One challenge associated with designing a liquid bath vacuum cleaner is providing an arrangement for cooling the motor during operation. Since electric motors are typically used, it is necessary to cool such motors during operation or excessive heat may build up that can damage or disable the motor after some time. Conventional wisdom was to allow the working air (i.e. the air flow that draws debris into the vacuum cleaner) to pass through the motor housing in a way that would cool the motor during operation. A disadvantage associated with this solution is that some debris in the working air flow may encounter or become lodged in a working part of the motor, which introduces the possible need for repair. Though arrangements have been suggested for isolating a cooling air flow from the working air flow, such arrangements are not necessarily the most efficient in design or operation.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved design and arrangement of components within a liquid bath vacuum cleaner for providing the necessary motor cooling effect. This invention provides a unique design that takes advantage of strategic placement of the working parts of the vacuum cleaner to achieve an enhanced motor cooling effect while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of previous designs.